Filing device



May 8, 1923.

. T. J. CLARKE FILING mavrcs Filed May 26 1921 :5 Sheet s-Sheet 1 gvwemtoz ZJ C/ari? May 8, 1923. I 1,454,102

T. J. CLARKE FILING DEVICE Filed May 26 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ell-E5 I. Ewuemto'c (Var/f May 8 I923.

, 1,454,702 T. J. CLARKE FILING DEVICE Filed May 26 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 anvantoz I (Var/2'9 Patented May 8, i923.

THOMAS EAL HES CLARKE, 0F JAIEESTOWN, NEW YORK. v

FILING DEVICE.

Application filed May 26,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates tofiling devices and more particularly to those used for filing loose record sheets, the invention being primarily designed to be used by druggists in chronologically filing prescriptions so that they will be kept in orderly fashion and preserved and may be readily accessible when a prescription to be refilled must be located.

in carrying out the invention, one object is to provide a filing board on which the prescriptions are stacked as they are filled, to provide a cabinet with filing drawers in which the accumulated prescriptions are subsequently filed, and to provide a rack for holding the prescriptions on the filing board until the rack is substantially filled, whereupon the rack and the prescriptions held thereby are transferable bodily to one of the filing drawers thereby overcoming the neces: sity of taking the prescriptions several at a time from a day file and placing them in a cabinet as is now commonly done.

A further object is to provide each cabinet drawer with a downwardly and forwardly swinging hinged door and to make provision for so mounting the aforementioned rack in the drawer as to permit the prescriptions to be turned outwardly from the drawer onto the open door when a prescription to be refilled is needed. I

A further object is to provide anarched prescription-holding rack of novel form and to equip the cabinet drawers and the filing board with means for supporting the stacked prescriptions against accidentally moving from the arch.

With the foregoing and minor objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the ac companying drawing.

Figure 1 is-a perspective view of one section of a filing cabinet embodying my improvements. I

1921. Serial No. 472,707.

Figure-2 is a perspective view of the rack and a number of accumulated record sheets, such as prescriptions, mounted thereon.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View, partly in elevation, showing one 01' the filing drawers with the rack in place, illustrating also the manner in which thet'ront door of the drawer may be swung outwardly to support the prescriptions or the like whenever necessary.

Y Figure 4. is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3,-the record sheets or prescriptions being omitted; m

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view as indicated by line o5-5 of Fig. 3.

Figure dis a detail sectional view, partly in elevation, showing the latch for holding the drawer front in a closedposition.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the filing board with the rack in position thereon.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the parts shown in F ig. 7.

Figure 9 is a vertical transverse sectional view as indicated by line 9-9 ofFig. 7.

In the drawings above briefly described (Figs. 7, 8 and 9), the numeral 1 designates, a horizontal filing board which is preferably tormed from sheet metalwith one edge portion bent upwardly to provide a vertical wall 2, thebase portion of said board being stamped downwardly at intervals to provide appropriate supporting feet 3. The board'l is adapted to be placed at a convenient location for receiving the prescriptions or other record sheets as they accumulate,a-number of these record sheets being indicated in the several views by the reference numeral 4.

An appropriate punch 5 is preferably 'inounted on one end of the board 1 to form a pair of openings in each record sheet so that it may be applied to the arched rack 6 upon which the prescriptions are placed.

The rack 6 is preferably formed froma single length of heavynickel plated wire and comprises a pair of vertically elongated arches 7 disposed in spaced parallel planes, one.

leg of each arch 7 being connected to a cross bar 8 which joins "said arches to each other.

The 'otherlegs ofthe arches are bent lateral; ly outward to provide apair of'parallelfeet 9. The cross-bar and feet 9 reston the filing 1 board 1 adjacent its central portion and an appropriate catch 10 which is carried by said board, takes over said cross bar as shown clearly in Figs. 7 and 8, whereby to anchor the rack 6 to the filingboard land to permit said rack to be tilted as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 7, so as to readily expose its feet 9 to allow the record sheets 4 to be applied'thereto. \Vhen the rack (3 is righted as shown in full lines in Fig. 7, if the record sheets 4 were permitted to rest directly on the feet 9, there would be danger of some of these sheets being accidentally detached from the rack, particularly when removing the latter from the filing board 1 to transfer it, together with the sheets held. hereby, to a filing drawer. Therefore, I pro vide the filing board 1 with a horizontal sheet support 11 which is straddled by the feet 9 when the rack is in upright position. The sheets l rest on the support 'I and consequently the dilliculty which would otherwise be encountered, is averted.

In manufacturing the, device, it is preferable to form the catch 10 and the support 11 from a single strip of metal ""lded or otherwise secured to the filing boar 1. The securing may be done at any point or points as long as movement the catch 10 is not interfered with. I have shown con struction in the present application, but it will be understood that this do need not be follmved in all instances. lVnen the construction in question is used, one end of the plate is stamped to form the catch 10 while the other end thereof is bowed upwardly to provide the sheet support ll, this construction being clearly shown in Figs. T, 8 and 9.

lVhen the rack 6 has been substantially filled with prescriptions or other record sheets, its cross bar 8 is disengaged from the catch and said rack, together with the accumulated sheets i, is transferred bodily to one of the drawers 12 of an appropriate fil ing cabinet 13, this cabinet being preferably of fire-proof construction. The bottom of each drawer 12 is provided with a catch 10 and with a sheet-support 11 as seen in Figs. 3, l and 5, these parts having the same functions as the parts 10 and 11 above described and preferably about the same construction. It will be observed however that the catch 10' is at the extreme front end of the drawer so as to hold the rack 6 in position to permit the record sheets or prescriptions to be turned forwarr y onto a downwardly and forwardly s winging hinged door A which forms the front of the drawer 12 (see Fig. The door 14: is normally held in a vertical position by an appropriate latch 15 so that the door l l is rigidly connected to the drawer l2 and forms a fire-proof closure for a portion of the cabinetfront. The latch shown pivotally mounted upon a bracket or standard at the front end of drawer 1-2. The

door 1 is provided with an appropriate han- Y l 7 v dates the contents of the oraivel relate, thei ebymaking it an easy matter to locate any desired prescription or other record blank which has been chronologicall filed.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that my invention is highly eflicient and in every way desirable, particular attention being directedto the fact that the rack 6 and the a -cumulated record sheets thereon, are transferable bodily from the day board or filing board to the cabinet drawer, instead of making it necessary to remove the sheets from the day file, several at a time and proper order. I wish also to direct attention to the novel construction of the rack 6, to the admntages of the sheet supportll a t ociation of the rack 6 with the o .t i. array s-.-. inging door 14, permitting said door to act as a support for the record sheets l n of the latter is to be located.

ce excellent results may be obtained the details disclosed, they are preferfollowed, but within the scope of the as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made.

I claim:

1. In combination, a filing board adapted to receive current record sheets, a filing 7 drawer in which the record sheets are ada tt be subsequently filed, a rack for ho ding the sheets as they accumulate on said filing board, said rack and the accumulated sheets being adapted to be transferred bodily from said filing board to said filing drawer, and anchoring means for securing said holder detachably to said filing board or in said filing drawer.

2. In a filing device, a rack comprising a pair of arched sheet-holding rods disposed in spaced parallel planes, across bar connected to one leg of each arch and joining said arches to each other, the other legs of said arches having laterally extending feet, and a base upon which'said cross bar and base feet rest, said base having a catch. to engage said cross bar and hold said rackon said base.

3. In a filing device, a rackcomprising a pair of arched sheet-holding rods disposed in spaced parallel planes, a cross bar connected to one leg of each arch and joining said arches to each other, the other legs of saidarches having laterally extending feet, a base on which said cross bar and said feet of the. rack are adapted to rest, meansion said base for engaging said crossbar to detachably hold the rack on the base, and a sheet support on said base to hold the sheets slightly above said feet. v

In a filing device, a base, a'pair of spaced parallel sheetdiolding arches, each having one of its legs pivotallymounted on said base, the other legs of said arches having laterally extending feet, and a sheet suparduously file them in the cabinet in of the rack are adapted to rest, and a strip a of metal secured to said base and having one end shaped to form a spring catch to en'- gage said cross bar and hold the rack on the base, said strip being upwardly bowed between the feet'of said rack to form a sheet support. v a

6. In a filing device, a sheet holder including s aced parallel legs to extend through spacec holes in the sheet, said legs having feet to rest on a base, and a sheet support associated with said feet to space the sheets slightly above them to prevent accidental displacement or tearing of the sheets.

one of its legs adjacent the hinge line of c said door, whereby the sheetsheld by the inner leg of said rack may be slid along the crown of the .arch onto the outer leg and supported by the door when open- 8. In a filing device, a sheet-holding device, a base on Whichit is adapted to rest, and a strip of materialsecured to said base and having one end constructed to form a yieldable catch to releasably engage said holding device to hold it in operative position on the base, said material being bowed adjacent said device'to provide a rest for the sheets'to space them above the bottom of the holding device.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set v 

